THE OBLIGATIONS AND
RIGHTS OF ALL THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL (Cann. 208 -
223)

Can. 208 From
their rebirth in Christ, there exists among all the Christian faithful a true
equality regarding dignity and action by which they all cooperate in the
building up of the Body of Christ according to each one’s own condition and
function.

Can. 209 §1. The
Christian faithful, even in their own manner of acting, are always obliged to
maintain communion with the Church.

§2. With great diligence they are to fulfill the
duties which they owe to the universal Church and the particular church to
which they belong according to the prescripts of the law.

Can. 210 All the
Christian faithful must direct their efforts to lead a holy life and to promote
the growth of the Church and its continual sanctification, according to their
own condition.

Can. 211 All the
Christian faithful have the duty and right to work so that the divine message
of salvation more and more reaches all people in every age and in every land.

Can. 212 §1.
Conscious of their own responsibility, the Christian faithful are bound to
follow with Christian obedience those things which the sacred pastors, inasmuch
as they represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as
rulers of the Church.

§2. The Christian faithful are free to make known to
the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their
desires.

§3. According to the knowledge, competence, and
prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to
manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the
good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian
faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with
reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the
dignity of persons.

Can.
213 The Christian faithful have the right to receive assistance from the sacred
pastors out of the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the word of God
and the sacraments.

Can. 214 The
Christian faithful have the right to worship God according to the prescripts of
their own rite approved by the legitimate pastors of the Church and to follow
their own form of spiritual life so long as it is consonant with the doctrine
of the Church.

Can.
215 The Christian faithful are at liberty freely to found and direct
associations for purposes of charity or piety or for the promotion of the
Christian vocation in the world and to hold meetings for the common pursuit of
these purposes.

Can. 216 Since
they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have
the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own
undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no
undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent
ecclesiastical authority.

Can. 217 Since
they are called by baptism to lead a life in keeping with the teaching of the
gospel, the Christian faithful have the right to a Christian education by which
they are to be instructed properly to strive for the maturity of the human
person and at the same time to know and live the mystery of salvation.

Can. 218 Those
engaged in the sacred disciplines have a just freedom of inquiry and of
expressing their opinion prudently on those matters in which they possess
expertise, while observing the submission due to the magisterium of the Church.

Can. 219 All the
Christian faithful have the right to be free from any kind of coercion in
choosing a state of life.

Can. 220 No one
is permitted to harm illegitimately the good reputation which a person
possesses nor to injure the right of any person to protect his or her own
privacy.

Can. 221 §1. The
Christian faithful can legitimately vindicate and defend the rights which they
possess in the Church in the competent ecclesiastical forum according to the
norm of law.

§2. If they are summoned to a trial by a competent
authority, the Christian faithful also have the right to be judged according to
the prescripts of the law applied with equity.

§3. The Christian faithful have the right not to be
punished with canonical penalties except according to the norm of law.

Can. 222 §1. The
Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that
the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the
apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers.

§2. They are also obliged to promote social justice
and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own
resources.

Can. 223 §1. In
exercising their rights, the Christian faithful, both as individuals and
gathered together in associations, must take into account the common good of
the Church, the rights of others, and their own duties toward others.

§2. In view of the common good, ecclesiastical
authority can direct the exercise of rights which are proper to the Christian
faithful.